fuller



H. R. FULLER.

$HOW CARDING PEN.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 23, 1919.

1,381,296. Patented June 14, 1921 HARVEY R. FULLER, 01 KZR-KSVELIQE,

lv'iISSOURI.

snow-annu us ran.

' Application 'filed May 23,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HAnimv FULLER, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Kirksville, in the county of Adair and State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Show-Carding Pens, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in show carding pens.

The ordinary pen employed in writing show cards, signs, price tags, bulletins, and the like, embodies a reservoir to contain the writing fluid, which reservoir is open at both of its sides so that when the pen is dipped into the writing fluid a desired quan tity of the fluid will be taken up by flowing into th reservoir through the open sides thereof, the top and-bottomwalls of the reservoir being left intact or imperforate A pen thus constructed, however, possesses certain disadvantages which render its use more or less unsatisfactory. For example the user of the pen cannot readily determine the quantity of writing fluid contained in the reservoir. In away this result may be accomplished by lifting the pen andlooking at one open side thereof, but unless this is done with extreme care, thepen is liable to be tilted so that the writing fluid will. spill from the reservoir, flowing out through that open side of the reservoir which is lowermost when the pen is tilted. In fact unless care is exercised in handling the pen, the writing fluid is liable to be spilled in the ordinary use of the pen sothat the work is liable to be spoiled orblotted. Furthermore, there is liable to be an undesirably free feed or flow of the writing fluid from the pen so that more than a sufiicient quantity of writing fluid will be delivered as the writing end of the pen is moved over the sign SUI'. face. It is therefore one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a reservoir pen of the class described so constructed that the flow of writing fluid from its reservoir will-be retarded to the desired degreeand the user of the pen may ascertain at a glance, while the pen is being employed and held in ordinary writing position, the quantityof writing fiuidinthe reservoir of the pen.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the pen that there. will be no likelihood of overflow or spilling of the writing fluid from the pen if the pen is tiltedlat- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14', 1923i.

1919. Serial No. 299,321.

erall in either direction or caused to assume any angle different from that at which it is lield in ordinary use.

further object of tie invention is to so construct the pen that the reservoir thereof may be more conveniently filled than may be the reservoir of the ordinary type of such pens. '7 V A. further object of the invention is to so construct the reservoir of the pen that the same will h vs a maximum capacity in proportion to its bulk. 7

Another object of the invention is to so construct the reservoir of the pen, in one embodiment of the invention, that the same will be adapted to contain several writing fluids in different colors although the reser: voir is devoid of aartition walls or the like which would render the instrument expen- 4 anufacture and difficult to clean.

nether object of the invention is to so construct the reservoir of the pen that the reservoir Y be thoroughly cleaned and was did after cleaning may be convenpected order to make'certain e are no accumulations therein liable to cause clogging of the pen.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a pen of this class, a novel construction of reservoir and a novel form of integral handle ferrule formed therewith and deed to render the connection between these parts more firm and durable than ordinarily. I

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pen for the purpose stated be filled by any suitable filler it directly into the writing will be adapted for the use 1-3 0 r1 ng and otherlluids, as example inlas, water colors, the fluids commonly employed in pr paring sign cards, and other fluids such for example as liquid shoe-polishes, soluble dyes or the like.

" the accompanying drawings:

igure 1 is a perspective view illustrating one form of pen embodying the present invention and the manner of using the same; 7

2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view through the pen shown'in Fig. 1;

e is a plan view of the blank from which the body of the pen is formed;

IFig. l is the pen;

5 is a perspective view illustrating a modified form of the pen;

(Sis a plan view of the blank from which the pen shown in Fig. 5 is formed;

Fi is a perspective View illustrating a further modified iiorni oi the pen;

8 is a plan view of the blank from which the pen shown in Fig. 7 is "formed;

9 is a perspective view illustrating a further modification of the invention as adapted for simultaneous use of a plurality of writing fluids of different colors.

The pen embodying the present invention is, as will be evident by reference to the drawings, adapted to be formed from sheet ate-rial such for example as sheet metal, sheet ,liQlllllOld, or intact any material suitable for the purpose, and the body or" the pen is preferably formed from a single integral blank of the sheet material stamped and it to the required shape to provide the writing edge, reservoir, and handle iierrule oi the pen. In that form of the invention shown in'l igs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the body of the pen is indicated in Qeneral. by the numeral 1, the body being preferably formed from the blank shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings and said blank being; termed with a; transversely extending series of relatively narrow slits 2 and a transverse series of: slots indicated by the numeral 3. Both the slits 2 and the slots 3 extend generally longitudinally of the blank, and for a purpose to be presently explained the sai d blank is pro'ded at one end with a tapered tongue indie. l by the numeral i. In forming up the blank, the same is bent along a line iuterthe slits 2 midway of theirends so to provide a writing edge which is indicated by the numeral 5, the said slits opening' tiirough the said edge, as clearly shown in 1. and lof the drawings. Preferlug.

ably, inv this form of the invention, the top wallet the rese voir, which reservoir is indiin general by the numeral 6, is tlat, this wall being); indicate by the inuneral 7. n or under wall 8 of the reservoir I lfifii Olftbly bulged as at 9 rearwardly or the writing: edge oi? the pen so that the capacity of the reservoir is somebut increased. As clearly shown in 1. 1f 3 the reservoir 6 is open at o i be, the slots 3 be ng located in be top wall 7 of the reservoir, and the boton; ll fthereoi being wholly impeltoi'ute. ills?) in forming up the blank, the tongue 4, -vlien the blank is folded, as stated'above, is brought to position against the extension of the top wall of the reservoir, and the lateral edgeportions of this extension are tolded over as indicated by the numeral. 10 so as o inclose bind the converging lateral edpges of the-tongue portion 4, the blank beyond the turned-over edo'es 10 bein rolled to substantially cylindrical form to provide a "ferrule 11 into which is fitted the reduced end of the handle or staff 12 of the pen.

r l b th of its sid flowing); through the slots Preferably the body of the pen is bent or deflected along a transverse line as indicated by the numeral 13, at a suitable point between he juncture of its reservoir and ferrule portions so that the reservoir of the pen is "'"ed at approximately 45 when the stall of the "o n held in he natural inclined position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the dr awiu gs.

Ail-S stated, the slots 3 are located in the upper wall "I of the reservoir so that in the ordinary use oi the pen, the user may determine at a glance the quantity of writing fluid within the reservoir inasmuch as the interior of the reservoir is visible through the slots. However, as the slots are relatively narrow there is no likelihood of the writing liuid overtlowingor spilling. This is further prevented, and the flow oi the "ting; fluid by capillarity so as to as sated suitably retard the flow of writing q iuid from the reservoir through the slits 2 n the writing edge 5 off the pen. Furthermore," as stated these flanges 14L by their capillary attraction of writing fluid within the reservoir prevent the fluid over- Also the slots 3 afford convenient means whereby the reservoir may he filled, it a filling instrument is employed, or whereby the writ luid may readily flow into the reservo r ii the reservoir is to he dipped into a quantity of the fluid. Due to the location of the dances 14- at the sides oi the slots remote from the user of the pen when the pen is held in the right hand in the manner shown in Fig. 1 oi? the drawinojs, an unobstructed view may be obtained of the interior of the reservoir through said slots.

ln that term oi" the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 oi" the drawings the body of the pen is indicated in rteneral by the numeral 15, the reservoir by the numeral 16. the top wall of the reservoir by the numeral 17. and the bottom wall by the numeral 18, the writing edge of the pen being indicated by the numeral l9. ln this form of the invention'the top wall 17 is formed with pa allel longitudinally extending); incisions 20 located relatively close to the lateral edges oi the said wall, and the wall is formed. between these incisions and parallel thereto, 7 'th a lon 'tudinally extending slot 2]. provided at one side with. an upstanding flange 22. the said slot 21 corresponding to the slots 3 and the flange 22 corresponding to the flanges 14'. in the previously described form of the invention and serving precisely the same purposes. In this form of the invention it is preferable that the material of the said wall 17 between the incisions 20 be bulged outwardly as shown clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings anc as indicated by the numeral 23, so as to increase the'capacity of the reservoir and, furthermore, so as to enable the user of the pen to obtain a clearer view of the interior of the reservoir both for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity of writing fluid contained therein and the condition of the interior of the reservoir after the pen has been cleaned.

Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings illustrate a modification in which the body of the pen is indicated in general by the numeral 24, the reservoir by the numeral 25, the writing edge by the numeral 26, and the top and bottom walls of the reservoir respectively by the numerals 27 and 28. As in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, this modified form of pen is formed in its top or front wall27 with a plurality of slots indicated by the numeral 29 and corresponding to the slots 3. However, in this form the said wall is not provided with the equivalents of the flanges 14.

Fig. 9 of the drawings illustrates a form of pen which is adapted to contain a plurality of diiferent colored writing fluids and in this figure the body of the pen is indicated in general by the numeral 30, its reservoir by the numeral 31, the top and bottom walls thereof respectively by the numerals 32 and 33, and the writing edge by the numeral 34. In this form of the invention the body of the. pen is dividedat suitable intervals by two or more notches or slots 35 which extend inwardly from the writing edge 34 and open through said edge so that as a consequence not only is the reservoir of the pen in a sense divided into a plurality of parts, but likewise thewriting edge 34 is divided into a plurality of lengths or sections. These lengths or sections of the writing edge may vary as concerns theirrelative widths so that the line made by one secu tion of the edge may be broader than that made by another or other sections of the edge or, if desired, the sections may be all i of the same width. Also in this form of the invention the front or top wall 32 is formed with a plurality of slots indicated by the numeral 36, each of the slots being located in that portion of the'wall 32 definingthe top or front of a respective, one of the compartment sections into which the body of the pen is divided. The wall 32 is further pref erably formed with a flange 37 located atone side of each slot 36 as in the forms of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the draw ings. It will be understood that in this last described form of the invention, writing fluids of difi'erent colors may be introduced by a suitable filler into each of the reservoir sections and will be retained by capillary attraction in their respective reservoir sections so that they will not comingle.

It will be understood that the flanges which are provided at the'sides of the slots in the front or upper wall of the reservoir of the pen, serve not only to reinforce and render rigid this wall and prevent its being crushed or bent in, but they serve also, by reason of the attraction of the writing fluid to their surfaces, to considerably add to the capacity of the reservoir. It will be understood inasmuch as the reservoir is open at both of its sides, its front and rear or top and bottom walls cannot be spaced apart too great a distance for the reason that if so spaced the fluid would not be retained within the reservoir. By providing the flanges, however, the walls may be located relatively close together so as to insure the retention of the writing fluid within the reservoir and yet for the reason stated, the capacity of the reservoir is greatly increased.

It will also be understood that where I have referred to a writingfluid, I mean any fluid which may be successfully employed in such a pen and therefore this term is not limited to fluid inks such as are ordinarily employed in hand writing with ordinary pens.

l/Vhile in the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the novel features are illustrated in connection with a pen the reservoir or body of which is integral or of one piece structure at its writing edge, it will be understood that the improvements may equally as well find embodiment in a pen in which the reservoir walls are separated or divided at the writing edge'of the pen.

It will furtherbe observed that all surfaces, within the reservoir of the pen, which are contacted by the writing fluid are smooth and free from indentations-and obstructions so that the reservoir may be more readily and effectually cleaned and there will be less likelihood of clogging.

It will also be understood that the pens may be made in various sizes and that, still utilizing the principles of the invention, the writing edge thereof. may be made very short.

Having thusdescribed the invention, what is claimed as new is z,

1. A pen of the class described having a reservoir comprising a front wall and a rear wall united at their lower edges by a perforated fold constituting a marking edge, the said front wall of the reservoir being provided with an opening spaced above the said marking edge and having an extension beside one wall to'constitutemeans for attracting fluid from the reservoir by capillary attraction, the rear wall of the reservoir opposite said opening being rearwardly bulged.

2. A pen of the class described having a reservoir comprising a front wall and a rear Wall, said walls being united at their lower edges by a perforated fold constituting a marking edge, the front wall of the reservoir being substantially flat and having a slot formed therein extending substantially perpendicular to the marking edge and provided at one side with an outstanding flange, the rear wall of the reservoir being rear- 10 wl ardly outwardly bulged opposite the said s at.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARVEY R. FULLER [n s.] 

